We aren’t quite to the point of convenience that theStar Trek universal translator brings to the table, but we’re getting there.

Usually, ordering a meal in a non-English speaking country isn’t too bad if the restaurant has pictures, since you can just point and nod. But pictures aren’t everywhere, and there will be times you’ll need to actually read a road sign, a posted notice or other unfamiliar text when you’re abroad. That need probably fueled the creation of NTT Docomo’s Intelligent Glasses, a pair of wearable spectacles that translate foreign text into your native tongue as you read. (Sounds like a feature Google Glass needs.)